Latest news with #WeillCornellMedicine
New York Times
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Gene Editing: The Lessons of a Medical Breakthrough
To the Editor: Re 'Custom Gene-Editing Treatment Helps Baby in World's First Case' (front page, May 16): Your article highlighting the remarkable work of Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas in developing a bespoke gene-editing therapy for KJ, a child with a rare disorder, is a powerful testament to translational research that bridges the clinic and the lab. It is no coincidence that Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas is a physician-scientist trained in both medicine and research through a program funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas and I were classmates in the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program, run jointly by Weill Cornell Medicine, Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Our peers from this program are advancing our understanding of cancer, H.I.V.-AIDS and other illnesses, each drawing on the unique ability to connect patient care with scientific discovery. These dual-degree programs exist to train precisely the kind of visionary thinkers who can identify unmet clinical needs and then return to the lab to devise novel solutions. This is possible only when scientists understand disease at both the molecular and human level. Recent and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health threaten the pipeline that makes such breakthroughs possible. Without strong federal support, we risk losing a generation of physician-scientists — and with them, the kinds of lifesaving advances described in this incredible story.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Study directly compares Zepbound and Wegovy for weight-loss results
Weight-loss medications continue to grow in popularity as an anti-obesity tool — but are some more effective than others? The question was explored in a new study published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers compared the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide (brand name Zepbound) and semaglutide (brand name Wegovy) in a 72-week clinical trial. Weight-loss Medications May Also Benefit Common Medical Problem, Study Finds The randomized, controlled trial — called SURMOUNT-5 — included 751 people throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico who had obesity but not type 2 diabetes. "Doctors, insurance companies and patients are always asking, 'Which drug is more effective?'" said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, in the release. "This study allowed us to do a direct comparison." Read On The Fox News App "The results are consistent with — in fact, almost identical to — what we've seen in trials in which these drugs were evaluated independently," added Aronne, who was a principal investigator in the trial. The study found that tirzepatide achieved greater weight loss, with participants shedding about 50 pounds (20.2% of their body weight). The group taking semaglutide lost an average of 33 pounds or 13.7% of their baseline weight, according to a press release summarizing the study outcome. Overall, 32% of the people taking tirzepatide lost at least 25% of their body weight; semaglutide users lost around 16%. Weight Loss, Diabetes Drugs Can Cause Mood Changes: What To Know About Behavioral Side Effects Tirzepatide users also reported a "greater reduction in waist circumference" than those on semaglutide. The likely reason for tirzepatide's greater effectiveness is that it uses a "dual mechanism of action," according to Aronne. "Whereas semaglutide works by activating receptors for a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, tirzepatide mimics not only GLP-1, but also an additional hormone, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)," the release stated. "Together, these actions reduce hunger, lower blood-glucose levels and affect fat cell metabolism." Weight-loss Drugs' Impact On Cancer Risk Revealed In New Study Additional trials are actively exploring whether tirzepatide also reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, a benefit that has been linked to semaglutide. The study was led by an investigator at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. It was also conducted with the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University College Dublin and Eli Lilly (maker of Zepbound). The participants all received guidance regarding nutrition and exercise. The reported side effects were very similar for the two drugs, with 44% of people experiencing nausea and 25% having abdominal pain. Weight-loss Drugs To Get Surprising Endorsement From Global Health Giant Dr. Ada Londono, M.D., a board-certified obesity and internal medicine primary care physician with PlushCare — a virtual health platform offering primary care, therapy and weight management services — said she was not surprised by the study's findings. "The results are consistent with prior trials, confirming tirzepatide's advantage over semaglutide's single GLP-1 action," Londono, who is based in New York City, told Fox News Digital. Beyond weight loss, semaglutide has also shown potential benefits for cardiovascular health, sleep apnea and kidney disease, she noted. "These findings highlight the need for continued research to understand tirzepatide's broader health impacts," she said. "It's encouraging to see ongoing studies exploring the full potential of GLP-1 medications beyond weight management." Londono said these treatments can come with side effects. Semaglutide Found To Have Shocking Benefit For Liver Disease Patients In New Study "Most people on these medications only report mild symptoms, but some have experienced more serious reactions, such as pancreatitis," she told Fox News Digital. "This underscores the importance of reviewing your medical history and discussing any concerns with your healthcare provider." The study did have some limitations — chiefly that it was not a blinded analysis and participants knew which medication they were receiving. This could introduce some level of bias, the researchers acknowledged. Londono pointed out that while the study's findings are "promising," it was funded by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Zepbound. "This may raise questions about potential conflicts of interest," she said. "Additionally, the open-label design and 72-week duration may limit objectivity and long-term insight." While the study primarily looked at the impact of the medications, experts agreed there are other factors that play a role in successful weight management. "Weight loss is biological, but it's also emotional, and whole-person support can make the difference between short-term results and sustainable health," Dr. Rekha Kumar, chief medical officer at the weight care program Found and a practicing endocrinologist in New York City, told Fox News Digital. Kumar emphasized the importance of working with a physician to choose a weight-loss medication that matches the patient's personal goals and health status. "For example, if a patient has fatty liver, we will choose the GLP-1 that is proven to work best for liver disease," she said. Looking ahead, the researchers plan to investigate new versions of weight-loss drugs, including retatrutide, which mimics the hormones GLP-1, GIP and glucagon, according to the release. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "Even though drugs like tirzepatide and semaglutide work really well, better than anything we have ever seen, we still have people who don't respond to them," said Aronne. "So, moving forward, we want to keep trying to do better." A spokesperson from Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Wegovy (semaglutide), sent a statement to Fox News Digital. "Across the respective clinical trial programs and in SURMOUNT-5, both Wegovy and Zepbound have demonstrated clinically significant weight reduction," the company said. "It is important to recognize that the comprehensive management of obesity goes beyond weight reduction alone." For more Health articles, visit The spokesperson also pointed out that in a previous trial, adults who were obese or overweight and who took Wegovy along with diet and exercise lost an average of 15.2% of their weight (~35 pounds) at the two-year mark, compared with 2.6% (~6 pounds) for patients taking a article source: Study directly compares Zepbound and Wegovy for weight-loss results
Fox News
26-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Study compares Zepbound and Wegovy for weight loss in direct comparison
Weight-loss medications continue to grow in popularity as an anti-obesity tool — but are some more effective than others? The question was explored in a new study published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers compared the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide (brand name Zepbound) and semaglutide (brand name Wegovy) in a 72-week clinical trial. The randomized, controlled trial — called SURMOUNT-5 — included 751 people throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico who had obesity but not type 2 diabetes. "Doctors, insurance companies and patients are always asking, 'Which drug is more effective?'" said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, in the release. "This study allowed us to do a direct comparison." "The results are consistent with — in fact, almost identical to — what we've seen in trials in which these drugs were evaluated independently," added Aronne, who was a principal investigator in the trial. The study found that tirzepatide achieved greater weight loss, with participants shedding about 50 pounds (20.2% of their body weight). "Doctors, insurance companies and patients are always asking, 'Which drug is more effective?'" The group taking semaglutide lost an average of 33 pounds or 13.7% of their baseline weight, according to a press release summarizing the study outcome. Overall, 32% of the people taking tirzepatide lost at least 25% of their body weight; semaglutide users lost around 16%. Tirzepatide users also reported a "greater reduction in waist circumference" than those on semaglutide. The likely reason for tirzepatide's greater effectiveness is that it uses a "dual mechanism of action," according to Aronne. "Whereas semaglutide works by activating receptors for a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, tirzepatide mimics not only GLP-1, but also an additional hormone, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)," the release stated. "Together, these actions reduce hunger, lower blood-glucose levels and affect fat cell metabolism." Additional trials are actively exploring whether tirzepatide also reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, a benefit that has been linked to semaglutide. The study, which was led by an investigator at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, was also conducted with the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University College Dublin and Eli Lilly (maker of Zepbound). The participants all received guidance regarding nutrition and exercise. The reported side effects were very similar for the two drugs, with 44% experiencing nausea and 25% having abdominal pain. Dr. Ada Londono, MD, a board-certified obesity and internal medicine primary care physician with PlushCare — a virtual health platform offering primary care, therapy and weight management services — said she was not surprised by the study's findings. "The results are consistent with prior trials, confirming tirzepatide's advantage over semaglutide's single GLP-1 action," Londono, who is based in New York City, told Fox News Digital. Beyond weight loss, semaglutide has also shown potential benefits for cardiovascular health, sleep apnea and kidney disease, she noted. "These findings highlight the need for continued research to understand tirzepatide's broader health impacts," she said. "It's encouraging to see ongoing studies exploring the full potential of GLP-1 medications beyond weight management." Londono pointed out that these treatments can come with side effects. "Most people on these medications only report mild symptoms, but some have experienced more serious reactions, such as pancreatitis," she told Fox News Digital. "This underscores the importance of reviewing your medical history and discussing any concerns with your healthcare provider." The study did have some limitations — chiefly that it was not a blinded analysis and participants knew which medication they were receiving. This could introduce some level of bias, the researchers acknowledged. Londono pointed out that while the study's findings are "promising," it was funded by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Zepbound. "This may raise questions about potential conflicts of interest," she said. "Additionally, the open-label design and 72-week duration may limit objectivity and long-term insight." While the study primarily looked at the impact of the medications, experts agreed that there are other factors that play a role in successful weight management. "Weight loss is biological, but it's also emotional, and whole-person support can make the difference between short-term results and sustainable health," Dr. Rekha Kumar, chief medical officer at the weight care program Found and a practicing endocrinologist in New York City, told Fox News Digital. Kumar emphasized the importance of working with a physician to choose a weight-loss medication that matches the patient's personal goals and health status. "Both Wegovy and Zepbound have demonstrated clinically significant weight reduction." "For example, if a patient has fatty liver, we will choose the GLP-1 that is proven to work best for liver disease," she said. Looking ahead, the researchers plan to investigate new versions of weight-loss drugs, including retatrutide, which mimics the hormones GLP-1, GIP and glucagon, according to the release. "Even though drugs like tirzepatide and semaglutide work really well, better than anything we have ever seen, we still have people who don't respond to them," said Aronne. "So, moving forward, we want to keep trying to do better." A spokesperson from Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Wegovy (semaglutide), sent the below statement to Fox News Digital. "Across the respective clinical trial programs and in SURMOUNT-5, both Wegovy and Zepbound have demonstrated clinically significant weight reduction. It is important to recognize that the comprehensive management of obesity goes beyond weight reduction alone." For more Health articles, visit The spokesperson also pointed out that in a previous trial, adults with obesity or overweight who took Wegovy along with diet and exercise had lost an average of 15.2% of their weight (~35 pounds) at the two-year mark, compared with 2.6% (~6 pounds) for patients taking a placebo.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Should Everyone Be Taking Ozempic? Doctors Say More People Could Benefit.
Novo Nordisk's Ozempic be added to the water supply? That is the kind of half-joking question that doctors kick around when a new class of drugs begins to help a big chunk of the population. Cardiologists used to quip about spiking water systems with cholesterol-reducing statins because of their ability to prevent heart attacks. Now, Ozempic and others in the 'GLP-1' category of drugs are approaching that critical mass. They are showing promise for an ever-expanding list of diseases, beyond today's most common uses of weight loss and treating diabetes. Heart, kidney and liver diseases. Sleep apnea. Arthritis. Alzheimer's disease. Alcohol addiction. Even aging. Some of these are potential benefits that need further study. 'It is getting to the point of wondering what GLP-1 agonists aren't good for,' pharmaceutical researcher and blogger Derek Lowe wrote in the academic journal Science last year. If this trajectory continues, doctors say millions more people would benefit from them—maybe even one-third to a majority of adults. But they also caution about use of the drugs in people who don't medically fit the bill because it could cause malnourishment. Doctors would have to figure out ways to guard against excessive weight loss in people who aren't overweight, perhaps putting them on special diets, said Dr. Scott Isaacs, an endocrinologist in Atlanta. The drugs—which also include Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound—mimic naturally occurring gut hormones such as GLP-1. The medicines promote production of insulin, which helps control blood-sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. They suppress appetite and make people feel full faster when eating, helping overweight people lose many pounds. In diabetes and obesity alone, the eligible patient population is huge. More than 100 million American adults—or 40%—have obesity. About 38 million have diabetes. Many of the proven and potential benefits of the drugs cascade from their effect on obesity. Losing weight relieves sleep apnea. It takes pressure off the joints, helping with arthritis. 'If you treat obesity, all of the complications of obesity that we spend a lot of our time treating in medicine should get better,' said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. But it also seems likely that some benefits are independent of weight loss, possibly because of anti-inflammatory effects of the drugs. 'The science is evolving very quickly in understanding how these medications affect so many organs and inflammation,' said Dr. Robert Kushner, an obesity-treatment specialist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Doctors say GLP-1-type drugs may help with psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune condition that causes joint pain and skin rashes, because of weight loss but also for their potential to reduce inflammation. Susan Abernethy of North Cove, Wash., started taking Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro in 2023 to help treat her psoriatic arthritis after older treatments weren't working as well. The 58-year-old chief operating officer of a nonprofit credits Mounjaro with helping her lose weight and relieving her joint pain. She takes it along with Taltz, which is approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. Her insurance pays for the combination in part because she also has Type 2 diabetes. 'After about four years of not being able to run and do things, I've been able to do a couple of 5Ks again,' she said. 'I can walk longer on the beach than before.' Lilly is studying the combination of Taltz and Mounjaro's main ingredient to treat psoriatic arthritis in a Phase 3 study, with hopes of seeking regulatory approval of the use if the study is successful. Doctors are also seeing success in treating people with certain liver diseases. Isaacs prescribes GLP-1s for people with a fatty-liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, which is estimated to afflict about 15 million Americans. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April found that semaglutide, the main ingredient of Ozempic and Wegovy, improved the condition in patients. Another area being considered: Alzheimer's disease. Researchers believe GLP-1s may have neuroprotective effects, slowing loss of brain volume. A small study in the U.K. last year found that Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 liraglutide slowed cognitive decline versus a placebo. Novo is conducting a Phase 3 trial of semaglutide in patients with early Alzheimer's. About 137 million American adults—more than half of the adult population—are eligible for treatment with the GLP-1 drug semaglutide, based on having Type 2 diabetes, meeting the threshold for excess body weight, or having established cardiovascular disease and excess weight, researchers estimated in a paper published in JAMA Cardiology last year. In comparison, about 82 million U.S. adults are eligible for statins. But only a fraction of those eligible are currently taking a GLP-1 drug—about 8.3 million in the U.S. this year, TD Cowen estimated. The percentage of the eligible population taking a GLP-1 outside the U.S. is even smaller. 'Global uptake of weight-loss drugs is minuscule relative to the addressable market,' TD Cowen analysts wrote in a research note. Still, some people clearly shouldn't take the drugs. 'I do believe that a large percent of the population, but not everybody, is going to be able to get some benefit,' Aronne said. People with a history of a type of thyroid cancer, or with certain head and neck tumors, shouldn't take them because earlier studies showed the drugs caused those types of tumors in rats. Some doctors are reluctant to prescribe them to people with a history of pancreatitis because some patients taking the drugs have developed severe cases of that condition. And some doctors shy away from prescribing them for cosmetic weight loss when no other medical conditions are present. Use of the drugs will surely grow. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that by 2035, the number of Americans using a GLP-1 for obesity alone will rise to about 29 million. But even that would only represent 20% of the eligible obesity population. That is because anti-obesity drugs are expensive. List prices are over $1,000 a month, many insurance plans don't cover them and even manufacturer-discounted prices are still several hundred dollars a month. Tolerability and manufacturing capacity of the drugs might also be issues. Some patients stop taking the drugs because they suffer unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects. And two main manufacturers, Lilly and Novo, only recently resolved drug shortages by increasing production. But they are still far from reaching enough capacity to supply significantly bigger percentages of both current and future eligible populations. More studies and better drugs could help boost the treatment rate. Companies are developing newer GLP-1s that could deliver greater weight loss, and pill versions that might be appealing to patients who don't like getting shots. Write to Peter Loftus at Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Mint
24-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
Why some people are microdosing popular weight-loss drugs
Microdosing isn't just popular for psychedelics. Some consumers are taking smaller than standard doses of GLP-1s—the popular class of weight-loss and diabetes drugs that include Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound—or spacing out doses longer than indicated. The reason: to save on money or lessen side effects. Some people say they can lose or maintain weight on such tiny doses and others believe the microdoses can help with other health-related factors. The truth: This may be more of a social-media phenomenon than a reality. Doctors say yes, some people are super responders to the drugs and can lose or maintain weight loss at low doses—but it's unusual to lose all your weight with these. The majority of people microdosing will need to escalate their dose, which can be done more slowly for those with bad side effects, notably gastrointestinal issues. Still, people are trying microdosing. Here's what to know about it. The first challenge with microdosing is the method of delivery. The prescription drugs entail taking weekly self-injections with pens. Currently, most people taking alternative doses of GLP-1 drugs are using cheaper compounded versions of the medications, says Dr. Katherine H. Saunders, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of FlyteHealth, a medical obesity-treatment company. (Saunders, like many doctors, doesn't recommend compounded copies of the drugs because of potential safety issues; the federal government has cracked down on the compounded market). The only weekly GLP-1 drug that makes it easy to take alternative doses is Ozempic. It comes in a self-injectable pen where doses are administered with clicks. The other drugs have mostly been sold as single-dose injectable pens. But some patients will stretch out doses taking them every 10 days to two weeks. And once used the pens have a shelf life of 56 days. Zepbound single-dose vials became available in the U.S. last year for self-pay customers only. This makes it theoretically possible to microdose by drawing out smaller amounts of liquid with a syringe. But the single-use vials are free of preservatives. So using them after the rubber stopper is punctured increases risk of infection, says Anne Kome, a clinical pharmacist at University of North Carolina Health in Chapel Hill. Saunders says many people taking fractional doses likely don't meet the criteria for the drugs and are trying to lose a little weight or are hoping for potential longevity benefits. They are people like Rachel Ratliff, a 56-year-old retired corporate lawyer in San Francisco. She was effortlessly skinny until she hit menopause and gained 10 pounds. Ratliff says she was always ravenous and nothing she did to take the weight off worked. Ratliff decided to try a compounded version of tirzepatide—the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro. 'I started taking [tirzepatide] out of vanity but it's completely changed my relationship to food and given me the ability to make healthier food choices," she says. Initially she took the usual starting dose of 2.5 milligrams, which wiped her out. Then she tried a quarter dose. 'It was amazing, it took the edge off my hunger," she says. Ratliff says she lost 10 pounds in the first six weeks and continues to take a maintenance dose. This costs about $50 a month. Saunders says some people are so-called 'super responders" who are very sensitive to medications and may need lower than a standard dose. 'We're personalizing the dose, not microdosing them on purpose," she says. Most people learn about microdosing from TikTok, according to a recent survey of 640 GLP-1 users conducted by Tebra, a health-software company. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they microdose. Among them, 48% take smaller injections than prescribed and 43% split doses over a longer period. Sixty-six percent microdosed to reduce side effects; 40% wanted to ease into the medication; and 38% did it to save money. Spokespeople for Novo Nordisk (Ozempic and Wegovy) and Eli Lilly (Mounjaro and Zepbound) said they don't condone or encourage misuse of their products. They said microdosing poses potential safety risks. Doctors agree that patients shouldn't be choosing to microdose on their own. 'What about a patient microdosing on their cancer therapeutic or how about microdosing on their blood pressure medication based on how they feel? Or how about their insulin?" says Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. 'We have a disease here—not cosmetics." Patients who try to conserve medicine by spreading out their doses may experience worse side effects, such as nausea and gastrointestinal issues, says Dr. Gitanjali Srivastava, a professor and co-director at the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center. 'The body is not exposed to that medication for longer periods of time so they are less tolerable," she says. Taking doses that aren't standard can also lead to more dosing errors. One promising area of microdosing may be health benefits independent of weight loss, researchers say. Data published at the European Congress on Obesity conference last year found that people who took semaglutide—sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy—and didn't lose much weight had the same 20% reduction in heart attacks and strokes as those who took it and did lose weight, says Dr. Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist and professor at University of Toronto who studies GLP-1 drugs. 'And so then the question is, if it doesn't matter whether or not you lose weight, does it matter how much semaglutide you actually took to get that benefit?" he says. We don't know the answer, he says, because trials use standard doses of the drugs. 'I think what we're starting to see is that there are clearly weight loss and glucose independent benefits of these medicines," says Drucker. 'But what we don't have is data saying 'and you can achieve those benefits with microdosing.'" Write to Sumathi Reddy at
